Aerial delivery apparatus



AERIAL DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Sept. 50, 1941- 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q 3 g i0 g 38 g g :2

q 0 1 I l I N Ir m m fl VZ7Y7 eS JM W er M 1943. F. G. MANSON ETAL2,327,359

AERIAL DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Sept. 30, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 07/5470 R8 Finn A C M 111 JA z-s 1/. MA Y Patented Aug. 24,

Frank G. Manson and James J. Maskey, Dayton, Ohio- Application September30, 1941, Serial No. 412,976

3 Claims.

(Granted iinder the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described hereinmay be manufactured and used by or for Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in aerial delivery apparatus andparticularly to con t-ainers for use in conjunction with parachutes fordropping articles of abreakable nature from aircraft to the ground. Theembodiment herein shown is especially useful in dropping a quantity ofrifles safely.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which maybe mum of time after landing.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind which will so holdthe articles which are dropped as to provide maximum insurance againstbreakage.

Another object is to so construct the several members of the device thatit will be durable and able to Withstand the severe usage to which adevice of this kind isnece'ssarily subjected Another object is to soassociate the container and the parachute pack of the device as toinsure positive and safe operation at all times.

Other objects and advantages will be evident as the invention is furtherdescribed. The description may be amplified by reference to thedrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation which shows theimproveddevice assembled and supported on the hooks ofthe bomb release rack .ofan airplane ready to be dropped, part of the middle section being brokenout to show the interior.

Figure 2 shows one of the elements of the device before assembly in thecomplete unit. the articles to be delivered being laid out thereon.

The embodiment of the invention herein shown and described comprises amiddle section In with two telescoping end caps 12 and I4 and aparachute pack is attached to one of the end caps.

The middle section III is in the form of a roll which serves both as ahousing for the articles to be dropped and as padding in which they areproperly imbedded'and spaced apart one from another. Before assembly,the roll I is in the form of a blanket l8 which is considerably longerthan wide and comprises a sheet 20 of cotton duck or similar fabric anda layer 22 of heavy felt securely stitched together. The felt layer isboth shorter :and narrower than the duck sheet, thus leaving a margin orflap 24 of the duck, which is folded over the ends of the articles whichare being wrapped.

The length of the blanket I 8 is such that a preopened in a mini-.

determined number of articles such as the rifles 26 may be laidcrosswise of the blanket with considerable space between them. Thewidthof the felt layer 22 is preferably made substantially the same as thelength of the rifles or other articles being wrapped, so that the flaps24 may be folded over the ends of the rifles before the Whole is formedinto a roll. When the blanket and rifles are thus formed into a. roll,the rifles will be circumferentially spaced apart between the layers ofpadding and will therefore be amply protected against the shock incidentto landing.

The end cap [2 which slips over one end of the made-up roll it is in theform of a drum with one end open. The cap comp ises an outer layer '28of duck or other suitable sheet material and an inner layer 30 of heavyfelt, bothmaterials preferably being such as is used in the blanket I8.

A band 32 consisting of a plurality of layers of webbing encircles theopen end of the cap and is stitched thereto. On the side away from the gobserver in Figure 1 all of the layers of the band 32 are stitched tothe-open end of the drum. while on the side facing the observer inFigure 1 part only of the layers are stiched to the drum, the remainderbeing left loose as at 34'.

Additional reinforcing strips of webbing are stitched to the cap. Onestrip composed of a plurality of layers extends acrossthe end as at 36,then axially along opposite sides of the cap as at 38, the ends beingfolded back upon themselves and stitched to the band 82 so as to formloops 40 for holding the stlrrups 42.

Another strip also composed of a plurality of layers extends across theend as at 44, then axially along opposite sides of the cap as at 46. Theone axial part 46, on the side toward the observer in Figure 1 isdivided, three ways, two portions being spread as at 48 and stitched tothe loose portion 34 of the band 32 with a stirrup 50 between the spreadapart parts, while the third portion is extended across the innerlayers-of the band 32 and lapped back upon itself to form the loop 52and stitched to the band, the loop 5i passing through the male part 54of a quick acting coupling 56, the purpose of which will subsequentlyappear.

The other axial part 46, i. e., the side away from the observer inFigure 1, is extended across the band 32 to which it is stitched, thenextended farther to form the long loop 58 which passes pa t 60 of acoupling 56 and hereinbefore described, and is provided with a differentreference numeral only to facilitate de-. scription. In the assemblyFigure l, the short loop 52 is on the left end cap I2 while the longloop 58 is on the right hand cap ll, but it will be apparent that on theopposite side, the short loop 52 is on the right hand cap l4 while thelong.

loop 58 is on the left hand cap l2, this being an livered and theblanket being of such obvious result of making one kind of cap which fwill serve both as a right and a left.

The parachute pack I6 is attached to the end cap I! by pairs of ties 88which are made of relatively narrow webbing and which. are passedthrough the loop 64 and securely tied as at 68. The parachute case 10may be made of duck or similar material with reinforcing webbing I2 andwith a stiffening member in the bottom, the bottom being that side whichis held against the end cap H by the ties 66.

The case 10 is of thepurse type, being provided with a single split at14 with grommets I6 along y the edges through which a light lacing 18passes to hold thetwo sides together. The canopy 80 is of simple cottonfabric design with narrow cotton webbing for shroud lines the webbingbeing stitched together into two groups at the lower ends 82 where theyemerge from the case and provided with loops 84 for connection to therisers 86. i

The risers at the lower ends are provided with spring snap fasteners thestirrup 50. A snubber 90, built up of a plurality of cords, prevents toowide a spread between the two groups of shroud lines.

The static line 92 is tacked inv several places as at 94 both to thecase It! and to the rip cord 18 and passes around the pack and into thecaseon the side away from the observer in Figure 1, where' it isattached by a break cord to the top of the canopy 80. The upper end ofthe static line has a spring snap 96 for attaching it to a suitablylocated ring on the plane. The hooks 98 of the bomb racks I00 engage thestirrups 42 to support the assembled device until the place of deliveryis reached.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. An aerial delivery device comprising, in combination, a heavilypadded rectangular fabric blanket of such size and length that when apredetermined number of the articles to be delivered are spaced apart onsaid blanket and wrapped,

a roll of substantially a desired size will be' formed, end caps ofheavily padded fabric each in the form of a drum with one end open. andof a diameter to readily slip over said roll, reinforcing bands aroundthe open ends of said caps, reinforcing strips extending from a point ona band-around the end of a cap and to a point diametrically opposite, onthe same band. means at junctures of said bands and strips for attach-88 which are hooked into 2. An. aerial delivery device comprising, incornbination, a rectangular blanket consisting of a layer of fabricstitched together with a layer of padding, the padding being of. a widthsubstantially that of the length of the articlesto be dea length thatwhen made into a roll with a predetermined number of the articles to ,bedelivered interspaced between the turns, the roll will be ofsubstantially a desired size, end caps of fabric in the form of a drumwith one end closed and with a lining of padding stitched therein, madeto slip freely over the ends of the roll, reinforcing bands around theopen ends of the caps, a reinforcing strip extending transversely overthe ends of each cap, then axially on the surface to and beyond theband, the ends being lapped back upon themselves and stitched to theband to form loops for holding stirrups for support on the hooks of abomb rack,'and a second reinforcing strip crossing the first overtheend, then axially on the ticlesto be delivered, the said fabric beingwider to provide flaps to turn over the ends of the said articles, andthe length of the blanket being such that when closely rolled with apredetermined number of the said articles interspaced between the turns,the roll will be of substantially a desired diameter, end caps offlexible fabric in the form of a drum with oneend closed and with alining of padding secured therein, made to slip freely over the ends ofsaid roll, reinforcing bands around the open ends of the caps, areinforcing strip extending transversely over the end of each cap, thenaxially on the surface to and beyond the band, the ends being lappedback upon themselves and stitched to the band to form loops, stirrups insaid loops for support on the hooks of a bomb rack, a second reinforcingstrip crossing the first over the end, then axially on the surface tothe band, to which it is stitched, then beyond it to form a pair ofloops, one part of a quick-acting coupling in each loop, the bands andthe strips'being made up ofa plurality of stitchedtogether layers, and,in the plane of the quickacting coupling, part of the layers of the bandand part of the layers of the strip being left loose from the remainder,the loose layers of the strip being spread apart and stitched to theloose layers of the band, and stirrups on the loose layers of the bandbetween the spread ends of the strip for attachment to the risers of aparachute.

- FRANK G. MANSON.

JAMES J. MABKEY.

the padding being of a .width substantially that of the length of thear-

